CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-06-18 18:31:00 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

Does this really have a chance? "In 2006, voters made Arizona the first state to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and unions. Two years later, the state passed a constitutional amendment banning only same-sex marriage, with 56 percent of the vote in support. But recent polling finds that Arizonans have evolved on the issue of marriage equality: 55 percent support marriage equality for same-sex couples, while just 35 percent oppose it."

2013-06-18 18:27:35 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

Depravity beyond belief. I cannot bring myself to excerpt any of this horror, which is described in detail at the link. She is in jail awaiting trial for first-degree murder charges.

2013-06-18 18:03:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Rmuse: "The latest assault on American workers, like most assaults on the labor force, is courtesy of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and it is occurring in Florida where ALEC controls the governor and state legislature. At the urging of large corporate employers, and ALEC members, the Florida legislature passed and Governor Rick Scott signed, a pre-emptive law making it illegal to pass legislation to provide paid sick leave to employees. That’s right, a state law banning local governments from implementing paid sick leave legislation to protect corporate employers such as Disney World, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and perennial enemies of labor, the Florida chapter of the Chamber of Commerce who all whole-heartedly supported the Draconian measure."

2013-06-18 17:50:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

You have got to be kidding. "Cornel Rasor..., a former Bonner County commissioner and chairman of the Idaho GOP’s resolutions committee, said, “I’d hire a gay guy if I thought he was a good worker. But if he comes into work in a tutu … he’s not producing what I want in my office.” ...

“If a guy has a particular predilection and keeps it to himself, that’s fine,” Rasor said. “But if he wants to use my business as a platform for his lifestyle, why should I have to subsidize that? And that’s what these anti-discrimination laws do.”

2013-06-18 17:23:13 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Amanda Terkel: "HUD found that same-sex couples were "significantly less likely than heterosexual couples to get favorable responses to e-mail inquiries about electronically advertised rental housing." In fact, heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9 percent of the tests, and over lesbian couples in 15.6 percent

...The Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act would add sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status and source of income to those FHA protected classes, but it has not yet been introduced in the 113th Congress.

One of the most interesting findings of the new HUD survey is that discrimination was actually slightly higher against same-sex couples in states with protections for LGBT individuals."

2013-06-18 16:13:03 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

"Under the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which President Obama signed into law in 2009 – we’ve strengthened our ability to hold accountable those who commit acts of violence that are motivated by someone’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability – and to achieve justice on behalf of all who are victimized simply because of who they are, or who they love.  Over the last two fiscal years alone, we’ve convicted the most defendants on hate crimes charges in more than a decade.  Beyond this work – as part of an Administration-wide commitment to stopping harassment, bullying, and abusive behavior – we have partnered with a variety of agencies, including the Department of Education, to forge new alliances between educators, school administrators, and anti-bullying advocates.  We’re drawing on the knowledgeof experts as well a... more »

2013-06-18 03:25:29 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Guess Rick Scott wants drive-thru executions. "[T]here is one exoneration for every three people executed in Florida. Nevertheless, a new law signed by Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) will speed up future executions and reduce the time available for attorneys to prove their client’s innocence."

2013-06-18 03:16:12 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

+Zack Ford:  "In other words, the Republican Party should try to fool moderates with inclusive rhetoric while continuing to cater to conservative positions. This is a tactic the party has largely failed at accomplishing since such ideas were proposed in its 2012 autopsy earlier this year. Party leaders like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have been championed for occupying a “middle ground” on LGBT issues, but despite his support for allowing states to figure out same-sex marriage for themselves, he opposes both marriage equality and nondiscrimination protections. At a retreat in April, the Republican National Committee nearly unanimously approved a resolution opposing marriage equality that was based entirely on anti-gay junk science."

2013-06-18 03:10:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Oh. my. god. This crap AGAIN. It's like a crack pipe that they cannot put down. "Duncan appeared on the radio program TruNews with Rick Wiles on Friday where the host asked the South Carolina congressman whether the House would go after Obama’s “phony identification papers.” Duncan initially demurred, but then agreed with Wiles that Obama could be lying about his birth certificate, calling for Congress to “revisit” the issue of “the president’s validity.”

2013-06-18 02:35:31 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Thank you Joyce Arnold, over at Queer Talk @ Taylor Marsh's blog. ""The “big” LGBT blogs are still predominantly run by white gay men, though many have regular contributors who are lesbian, with some bisexual and transgender presence as well, and/or people of color. By the way, that’s primarily an observation, not a judgment about those “white gay men.” It is still significant, however, and losing Pam’s voice from the daily conversation is a major development...Thanks, Pam Spaulding, for all you’ve done in LGBT activism and citizen journalism. Thanks for modeling good decision making related to health issues. And thanks that you’ll still be around to whatever extent, via social media."

2013-06-18 01:32:33 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Nice little piece in the Advocate on PHB shutting down on 7/1: "Spaulding is a veteran activist and prolific blogger whose Blend received numerous awards for powerful, in-depth reporting and commentary, often highlighting intersections of the fights for LGBT and racial equality. 

"All good things must come to an end, even after numerous awards and accolades, it’s time to acknowledge that I cannot continue to run on fumes alone," writes Spaulding. "If I cannot produce material at the frequency or with the same level of quality, enthusiasm and effectiveness, it’s really time to close the doors to this coffeehouse — and work to ensure it continues to have a life as an archive, a snapshot in our digital political history."

2013-06-17 15:29:01 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

Men assaulting fellow service members just can't help themselves -- boil on the @ss of society John Derbyshire tosses up offensive garbage again, via Miranda Blue at Right Wing Watch: "(3) Women are strongly attracted to higher-status men. If male officers are in command of units containing women, human nature is placed under severe strain.

(4) Men who join the military are responding to widespread, innate male urges—the urge to break things and kill people, for example. Women who join the military are, by contrast, outliers in their sex. They are eccentric and prone to behave eccentrically. As a designated victim group, they are especially susceptible to the associated pathologies, e.g., victim hoaxes for attention,spite, or cash reward.

(5) The terms “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault” are ambiguous and open to manipulation by unscrupulous lawyers. It is not,for examp... more »

2013-06-17 15:25:28 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Oh, please, just hang it up already. 
Government Is Not God PAC: "In a special video on LGBT Gay Pride Month, Obama praised “gay” leaders who had “bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice.” That’s a clever way of saying they have turned morality upside down and violated God’s moral laws in pushing for the normalization of homosexual sex acts.s [sic]

Obama, who claims to be a Christian, might want to read Romans 1:18-31.

And, he might want to read that the Lord Jesus Christ said about those who defile children: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” – Matthew 18:6."

2013-06-17 15:05:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Reporting by Justin Snow. "We are in the process of uncovering significant evidence that discrimination against gay and transgender people exists. We are in the process of uncovering evidence that will allow us to bring additional lawsuits to highlight companies that are in the minority of the Fortune 500 by refusing to adopt LGBT nondiscrimination," said [Freedom to Work founder and President] Almeida.

...At the same time ENDA's optimistic prospects in the Senate have moved the issue to the front burner for many LGBT groups, the push for Obama to end discrimination today with the flick of his pen has also seen increased momentum in recent weeks following the heckling of first lady Michelle Obama over the issue at a private fundraiser. Although Almeida largely blames senior staff at the White House and the president's spokespeople for their passive support for ENDA over an... more »

2013-06-17 13:13:25 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

Another war criminal flapping his lips. "In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Cheney laughed off questions about why federal surveillance of phone records need be kept secret, suggesting that since the people who authorize the program are elected by voters, voters should simply trust their judgment."

2013-06-17 07:58:13 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Jamelle Bouie: "My hunch is that the insensitive comments on sexual assault and racial slurs are a product of the GOP’s overwhelming homogeneity. It’s a political party dominated by a single demographic of people: older whites, with middle to high incomes, socially conservative beliefs, and a deep attachment to the America of the past. And more important, until the last five years the demographic has been a reliable source of election victories. While Democrats have had to build relationships with diverse communities of people to create a national majority, or something close to it, Republicans have been able to rely on their advantage with the American “mainstream” to win elections and hold power.

...In much the same way that a closed world, online and off, almost certainly enabled Tanner Flake to say offensive things without reprimand, the GOP’s lack of diversity has left it in aplace whe... more »

2013-06-17 07:26:32 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

2013-06-16 21:43:00 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

You know, I can't think of a better tool to deliver this news than Graham. Death spiral, indeed.

"The South Carolina Republican added: 'But if we don’t pass immigration reform, if we don’t get it off the table and in a reasonable, practical way, it doesn’t matter who you run in 2016. We’re in a demographic death spiral as a party. And the only way we can get back in good graces with the Hispanic community, in my view, is pass comprehensive immigration reform. If you don’t do that, it really doesn’t matter who we run in my view.'”

2013-06-16 18:50:08 (18 comments, 4 reshares, 13 +1s)

It’s as good as any time to share this; the blog started without any fanfare back in 2004, so why not drop the news when people should be out (hopefully) enjoying life offline, and fellow bloggers are heading off to Netroots Nation. It’s also only fitting that this occurs as major Supreme Court decisions on LGBT equality, voting rights, and equal opportunity in higher education are upon us; major changes are ahead that touch on topics covered over the years at PHB.

2013-06-15 18:58:41 (22 comments, 10 reshares, 12 +1s)

Why???!!!

2013-06-15 18:48:44 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

"African Americans are facing racism within the LGBT community. Dr. Darlene Nipper, deputy executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Cleo Manago, CEO and founder of Black Men's Xchange; and Earl Fowlkes, president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity joined Roland Martin on the set of Washington Watch to discuss the racism and the lack of diversity within the LGBT community."

2013-06-15 11:09:01 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

+John Aravosis: We talked about Dan’s new book, “American Savage,” and about other things like how a gay guy knows so much about straight sex, whether bisexuals are real, whether gays “should” get married, whether he’d choose for his teenage son to be straight or gay (his answer might surprise you), his Catholicism, and Dan divulges his husband’s secret Mai-Tai recipe. http://goo.gl/g7TC8

2013-06-14 19:27:40 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 3 +1s)

Well, well...this explains a lot; he even goes after Trayvon's funeral director. Read and weep: 

Judd Legum: He then goes on to list various black leaders and organizations that he believes are racist:

Congressional Black Caucus. “[A] pathetic, self-serving group of racists… advancing their purely racist agenda.” He later adds that “all members of Congress should be ashamed of the Congressional Black Caucus, as should be their constituents.” And finally: “They are truly a disgrace to all Americans.”

The NAACP. “[S]imply promotes racism and hatred for their own, primarily finical, interests” and “without prejudice and racial divide, the NAACP would simply cease to exist.”

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. “[W]hat I would expect of a racist.”

Trayvon Martin’s funeral director. A “racial activist and former head of thelocal NAACP.”

Benja... more »

2013-06-14 16:02:41 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

"After an all-male group of Republicans voted on Wednesday to advance an anti-abortion bill with no exceptions for rape victims, a member of their own caucus decried their "stupidity."

“I’ll be very frank: I discouraged our leadership from bringing this to a vote on the floor,” Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) told CQ Roll Call. “Clearly the economy is on everyone’s minds, we’re seeing very stagnant job numbers, confidence in the institution of government is eroding and now we’re going to have a debate on rape and abortion.

“The stupidity is simply staggering,” Dent said."

2013-06-13 20:08:29 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 9 +1s)

Check this one out -- you can't even be an ally - that's enough to lose your kids! "4) Demanding the breakup of loving families for ideological reasons. The Christian right loves to go on and on about the importance of family, but what they don’t often admit is they are only talking about their families. The Christian right is forever trying to take away the right to parent from gay people by interfering with gay adoptions, banning gay couples from using reproductive technologies, and in the case of religious right talk show host Bryan Fisher, encouraging his audience to kidnap children of gay parents and give them to straight people. 

This obsession with declaring loving parents unfit because they disagree about religion and politics has even grown beyond this. Writing for the Christian publication Charisma, Republican strategist Raynard Jackson demanded that MSNBC commentatorKr... more »

2013-06-13 19:52:34 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

KEYES: The Senate this summer is going to be taking up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which makes it illegal to fire someone for being gay. Do you know if you’ll be supporting that?
RUBIO: I haven’t read the legislation. By and large I think all Americans should be protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.
KEYES: What about on race or gender?
RUBIO: Well that’s established law.
KEYES: But not for sexual orientation?

Adam Peck and Scott Keyes: "LGBT workers aren’t asking for “special protections,” as Rubio would have people believe. They’re asking to be treated like everyone else and be allowed to do their job without fear of being harassed or fired for who they are."

2013-06-13 19:22:10 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Michael K. Lavers: "92 percent of the 1,197 LGBT adults who responded to the survey the group conducted between April 11-29 said society has grown more accepting of them since 2003. Respondents cited a variety of reasons that include knowing someone who is LGBT, President Obama and other high-profile figures advocating in support of gay issues and same-sex couples raising families.

...39 percent of those who responded to the Pew survey said same-sex marriage has drawn too much attention away from other LGBT-specific issues. In spite of this position, 58 percent of respondents said nuptials for gays and lesbians should remain a top priority for the LGBT rights movement.

...39 percent of those who took part in the Pew survey said a family member or close friend rejected them at some point in their lives because of their LGBT identity. 30 percent of respondents reported they have... more »

2013-06-13 12:23:26 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

A legend and hero, Julian Bond, always makes it so easy -- he delivers a passionate, common-sense view of the place of religion and the expansion of basic civil rights to the LGBT community. Click over to read it all. A snippet: 

"[A]s LGBT people have gained greater equality under the law, we are hearing similar objections to the ones I heard in response to the civil rights gains of African-Americans in the 1960s. We hear people asking for exemptions from laws — laws that prohibit discrimination — on the ground that complying would violate their religious beliefs.

I heard this argument in Maryland last year when working to secure the freedom to marry for committed and loving same-sex couples. And now we are hearing it in Congress with respect to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, critical federal legislation introduced in Congress in April that would prohibit employmentdisc... more »

2013-06-13 11:20:40 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

OMFG, oh no he didn't. On the Maine House floor, the wisdom uttered by Rep. Ken Fredette: "As I listen to the debate today and earlier debate on this bill, I can’t help but think of a title of a book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. And it’s a book about the fact that men sort of think one way in their own brain, in their own world. And women think another way in their own brain and in their own world. And it really talks about the way that men and women can do a better job at communicating.”

“Because if you listen to the debate today, in my mind, a man’s mind, I hear two fundamental issues. From the other side of the aisle, I hear the conversation being about free. ‘This is free, we need to take it, and it’s free. And we need to do it now.’ And that’s the fundamental message that my brain receives.”

“Now, my brain, being a man’s brain, sort ofthinks differently, bec... more »

2013-06-13 11:15:25 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I see news reports of "tragic mistakes" in the future. "Michael Lauer and his wife told WFAA that Helicoptersniper.com had turned his peaceful neighborhood into a war zone. “The first time they were hovering right over our two acres, shooting at whatever,” Lauer recalled. “You really didn’t know, were they shooting at me?”

But Helicoptersniper.com owner Dan Claassen insisted that he is selling a perfectly safe adventure “like the ultimate video game” to gun enthusiasts. “It’s not like we’re endangering anybody’s life with our flight patterns or our techniques,” he explained. “Everything is totally safe in that regard.”

2013-06-13 11:10:07 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

No news here as religion-based bigotry is alive and well in the SBC. “I am very sad to say that it seems as though (Boy Scouts) are moving away from the principles they were founded upon,” Wes Taylor, pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Newport News, Virginia, said during the debate at the annual convention. “It is an environment just fertile for young boys to be exposed to something that is ungodly and unacceptable.”

2013-06-13 10:55:04 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, offered a measure that would give military prosecutors rather than commanders the power to decide which sexual assault crimes to try, with the goal of increasing the number of people who report crimes without fear of retaliation. Mr. Levin, Democrat of Michigan, said he would replace Ms. Gillibrand’s measure — which has 27 co-sponsors, including four Republicans — with one that would require a senior military officer to review decisions by commanders who decline to prosecute sexual assault cases. Although Mr. Levin’s measure would change the current system, it would keep prosecution of sexual assault cases within the chain of command, as the military wants.

...A recent Pentagon survey found that an estimated 26,000 assaults took place last year. Senior military officials have repeatedly traipsed to Capitol Hill this spring tolament ... more »

2013-06-12 23:23:27 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 6 +1s)

Bring out that transvaginal wand in WI. But take a look at what was read on the floor about Big Govt GOP noses: "Wednesday’s Senate session began with state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D) reading letters from several constituents who opposed the bill.

“The idea of — quote — small government is in direct conflict with big government Republicans sticking their nose my vagina,” one voter named Suzanne wrote. “How can we get the conservatives — mostly men — to quit blaming women, many times girls, solely for unwanted pregnancies?”

A second letter pointed out that the bill’s provision excluding rape and incest would not be effective because only 16 percent of rapes were reported to police. 

2013-06-12 23:17:30 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

These idiots just can't stop making ignorant comments about rape. #wombcontrol. "The Arizona Republican's comments echo those made last year by former Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who notoriously claimed that women cannot become pregnant from "legitimate rape." Like Akin's, Franks's claim is not supported by research. Medical experts agree that rape does not lower the incidence of pregnancy, and one study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that more than 30,000 pregnancies result from rape in the United States each year.

Franks is seeking a ban on abortions after 20 weeks, and his bill, The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, would only allow women who would die without an abortion procedure to procure one after 20 weeks of fertilization. "

2013-06-12 23:12:43 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

Sonja West: "What is surprising, however, is that in this quest for insights into Kennedy’s frame of mind, pundits have virtually ignored one of the few things he flat-out told us about his views on same-sex marriage. In March, during the oral argument about California’s same-sex marriage ban, Kennedy said that he was “trying to wrestle” with a “difficult question” about the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. The question on his mind was whether prohibitions on same-sex marriage are a form of gender discrimination. The lawyer defending the ban, Charles Cooper, responded that this was a case about sexual orientation, not gender, and the argument quickly moved in a different direction.

But we shouldn’t dismiss Kennedy’s question about gender discrimination too hastily. The court’s precedents on gender might offer Kennedy the conservative compromise he is looking for: away to recognize ... more »

2013-06-12 21:02:24 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Huck's on a roll this week! Brian Tashman: "Baptist Press, the media arm of the SBC, further reports that Huckabee urged pastors to speak out against the “ungodly and unholy” culture and put the Republican Party on notice in case they “ease off” on “issues like the sanctity of life and the holiness of marriage.” 

HUCK: We need to be clear that, when holy matrimony is formed into an unholy pretzel, twisted into perversion -- and when the military and the Boy Scouts become test labs for social experiments -- we need to be very clear that, male and female, [God] created them," Huckabee said.

...Citing veteran NBA center Jason Collins, who revealed his homosexuality on a sports website, Huckabee said the national media called Collins "a hero for announcing his sexual proclivities."

Huckabee asked, where are the "accolades for Tim Tebowwho announce... more »

2013-06-12 19:50:20 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Calling the white, black, Latino, young, old, workers, veterans, professors, students, elected officials, people with disabilities and North Carolinians who have come out to support this movement and challenge the extreme and immoral ultra-conservative agenda of this administration "outside agitators" is an effort to delegitimize the broad and diverse coalition of people speaking up on behalf of North Carolina's poor, working poor and vulnerable. These are people who care deeply about the soul of this state and nation.
 
 
            It's Old South politics. It's the same language and line Governors of the Old South in the 1960's and before used rather address the legitimate concerns about injustice and inequality.  It's an attack line because he and the extreme members of his party cannot answer the serious criticism of their immoral policiesthat vio... more »

2013-06-12 19:40:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Tima Omara-Alwala: "While I would like to claim all the credit for us “straight surrogates,” a huge driver of national support for marriage equality is our nation’s demographic shift. Older Americans are no longer with us and their hetero-normative views have not been passed down. As younger Americans that have grown up with gay and lesbian couples take to the ballot box, the pendulum is swinging to the right side of history.

As of March 2013, poll after poll showed a majority of Americans supporting marriage equality including 73 percent of Americans under the age of 30 per CBS. The ABC/Washington Post cut their data differently, finding extremely high support among younger Democrats 18-49 (73 percent) and Republicans 18-49 (52 percent).

However, the rest of the GOP has not joined younger Republicans, Democrats and independents in supporting equality. But, hope springsetern... more »

2013-06-12 19:31:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Chris Johnson: "Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, recalled Obama’s words during the 2008 presidential campaign as he called on him to announce he’ll sign the executive order.

“It’s been five long years since he made a promise to sign it and it’s long past time it gets done,” Sainz said. “This president has done virtually everything right on issues of LGBT equality. He’s been a steadfast ally. That’s why it’s so frustrating to see time go by without his signature on an EO that would protect millions of LGBT workers nationwide.”

The Pride reception comes as the LGBT workplace non-discrimination issue has gained prominence — even in mainstream media. Last week, Ellen Sturtz, a lesbian activist affiliated with GetEQUAL, made headlines when she confronted first lady Michelle Obama at a Democratic National Committeefundraiser in D.C. and ... more »

2013-06-12 19:21:53 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Eight years earlier, almost to the day, Sharpe had joined with five other colleagues to cement in place a policy that banned recognition of gay pride. That effort, led by fellow commissioner Ronda Storms, led to national and international coverage, cancelled conventions and round condemnation from all quarters.

Last week, Sharpe tearfully told the crowd that he was late to the commission meeting because he'd been at school with his son, who was being given the American Legion Award. His voice broke as he described telling his son, "When you make a mistake, you correct it yourself." After a long pause, he expressed his regret for having voted for the policy in the first place."  http://goo.gl/s1Yhx

2013-06-12 19:20:06 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Eight years earlier, almost to the day, Sharpe had joined with five other colleagues to cement in place a policy that banned recognition of gay pride. That effort, led by fellow commissioner Ronda Storms, led to national and international coverage, cancelled conventions and round condemnation from all quarters.

Last week, Sharpe tearfully told the crowd that he was late to the commission meeting because he'd been at school with his son, who was being given the American Legion Award. His voice broke as he described telling his son, "When you make a mistake, you correct it yourself." After a long pause, he expressed his regret for having voted for the policy in the first place."

2013-06-12 19:18:54 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Chris Johnson: "In a statement on Wednesday, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) blasted the Obama administration for criticizing his amendment — which has become Section 530 of the House version of the fiscal year 2014 defense authorization bill — by saying the president is “continuing his war on free speech.”

“With its statement, the White House is now endorsing military reprimands of members who keep a Bible on their desk or express a religious belief,” Fleming said. “That is an outrageous position, but it’s what I’ve come to expect from an administration that is aggressively hostile toward religious beliefs that it deems to be politically incorrect.”

2013-06-12 13:46:46 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Unreal. Disgusting. In Georgia: "[T]two Murray County sheriff's deputies recently pleaded guilty in federal court for their part in a scheme to send an innocent woman to prison. Now both deputies await sentencing on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury stemming from an FBI civil rights investigation into the odd goings-on Down South.

The woman in question, Angela Garmley, had filed a complaint with the Georgia Judicial Qualification Committee alleging that Chief Magistrate Judge Bryant Cochran solicited sex from her in return for legal favors in her pending divorce. Shortly after Garmley filed her complaint, she was arrested on August 14, 2012 in sleepy Chatsworth, Georgia, and charged with possession of methamphetamines.

...[McCracken] Poston, a former Georgia state representative from nearby Ringgold with a reputation as a crack attorney, is representing Garmley in... more »

2013-06-12 13:12:37 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Tara Culp-Ressler: "SB 206 would require women to undergo an ultrasound before getting an abortion — which would mandate an invasive transvaginal probe for some of the women who seek early abortions in their first trimester — and force one of the state’s last abortion clinics to close its doors.

“I don’t have any problem with ultrasound,” Walker told reporters on Tuesday in Milwaukee. “I think most people think ultrasounds are just fine.”

2013-06-12 13:00:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Note: this is the Amy's Baking Company (see Kitchen Nightmares) approach to tips -- the servers are paid a salary, and the owner takes any tips left by patrons. Except in this case the diners are made aware of the tipping policy. 

Aviva Shen: "Sushi Yasuda’s waitstaff enjoy rare stability in an industry that justifies its long-standing minimum wage of $2.13 an hour by factoring in tips. Waiters generally support tips because of the potential windfalls on busy nights — but come away empty-handed if they’re stuck with a bad shift or stingy customers. Sushi Yasuda’s staff, on the other hand, is paid a salary with a benefits package complete with vacation days, sick leave, and health insurance. Tips were accepted but went directly to the restaurant, not to the servers."

2013-06-12 12:44:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

2013-06-12 06:29:19 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

"This year ENDA was reintroduced again — an inclusive version that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation — and it must be passed by the Senate and the House before President Obama can sign it into law."

2013-06-12 05:22:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

This shows they don't get it -- another massive PR #FAIL. "The move comes weeks after comments Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries made to Salon in 2006 admitting the brand aimed to exclude "uncool" teens resurfaced, sparking a wave of real-life and social media protests. Outraged shoppers also complained that Abercrombie dictated a certain standard of beauty by not offering larger sizes in its stores.

...But some of the apparel brand's critics, like 18-year-old Benjamin O’Keefe, said the anti-bullying campaign shows the company is “becoming the epitome of hypocrisy."

“It doesn’t make sense that a company that is still bullying itself is now working on an anti-bullying campaign,” O’Keefe told HuffPost."

2013-06-12 05:20:21 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

She is cute as a button. The haters need to be ashamed of themselves. "Grace Colbert, the adorable actress who plays the daughter in the recent ad, sat down with her biological parents, Janet and Christopher Colbert, for an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday. When asked what Grace thought of the negative response to the commercial, Janet explained that her daughter simply thought all the attention was because of her great smile.

In the full interview, Grace said that the commercial was "very fun to make."

"America needs to see that this is just a way of life," Grace's dad Christopher said in the interview. "I wasn't upset or anything. I was pretty much really excited about having this type of reaction so we can see where we still stand in America. But look out, America, because this is just reality."

2013-06-12 05:16:38 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

This is what the GOP has known and waited for -- short-attention-span, low-info Americans forget just how badly W f'd up things during his 8 years in office. "Forty-nine percent have a favorable view of Bush, while 46 percent view him unfavorably, the poll found. His ratings have risen by more than 10 points among both parties since he left office, with 84 percent of Republicans and 24 percent of Democrats now rating him favorably.

At Bush's lowest point, in 2008, just 32 percent of Americans rated him positively, according to Gallup. Like most recent presidents, however, he saw his numbers rise after leaving the White House."